Pulsar Chess Engine vs Chess Mate Puzzle
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Pulsar Chess Engine
Play chess and six popular variants with adjustable AI difficulty levels. Review logged games, access master game collections, and utilize Crafty engine analysis for standard chess and Chess960. Offers accessibility features for blind users.
- Plays 7 chess variants
- Adjustable AI difficulty levels
- Game logging and review
- Master game collections
- Crafty engine analysis
- VoiceOver accessibility
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The Pulsar Chess Engine plays Chess and six variants all with multiple levels. The variants are Chess960, Crazyhouse, Loser's, Atomic, Three Checks and Giveaway. Rules included in-app. In addition, there is also a review mode to look at the user's log file with analysis available for non variants. 10 game collections of classic and modern master games are included to look at including Kasparov, Fischer, Carlsen, Capablanca and Morphy 1858 collections. These collections and the log file are searchable. Pulsar values mobility and active positions. In app there is an article with more on its playing style and how to train against it. With the variants, each has its own style. Chess960, Three Checks and Crazyhouse are the more chess like variants and adoptable to learn to play for anyone with interest. The rules of all games are in app. Pulsar has levels of play from beginner too advanced. Games with a time control are the hardest though Pulsar doesn't call the player's time. The time is more to handicap Pulsar's strength, but users will have a clock and can see if it's gone negative if they want to play the time control. The game button - configure game menu item, lets the user control the variant and difficulty. It defaults to Chess at Easy(lowest level) but remembers the current settings when the App restarts. There are choices of pieces and board color schemes. The Pulsar program was originally developed by me for computers starting in 1998 and came to mobile for the first time in 2014. Pulsar's board is accessible to the blind using Voice Over, a screen reader. Tap on a square and it will say whats on it and double tap to move or choose from three move methods. A screen reader can normally read anything with text like a button, but a board is a collection of images. To make it accessible, text must be returned to Voice Over when a tap is in the area of a square. Pulsar began as a chess program and later learned variants. It ran extensively on two servers for many years both at chess and variants. The ratings on the board reflect strength I saw in rated play on handicapped bots. They are not 100% exact but generalizations I made from the various bots I ran at different settings. If in the new game selector, Play vs. Computer is unchecked the user can move for both sides. This is to allow two people at same location to use the App as a board for a game and have the app enforce move legality and results for whatever variant is selected.
Chess Mate Puzzle
Sharpen your strategic thinking with over 3,000 checkmate puzzles. This app offers interactive lessons and progress tracking to improve your chess skills. Enjoy offline play for on-the-go training.
- Over 3,000 checkmate puzzles
- Beginner to grandmaster levels
- Enhance strategic thinking
- Interactive lessons with explanations
- Progress tracking
- Offline play
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Chess Mate Puzzles - Train Your Brain with Strategy Embark on a journey of chess mastery with Chess Mate Puzzles, your ultimate chess companion. Challenge your mind with over 3,000 intricate checkmate scenarios designed to sharpen your strategic thinking and tactical skills. Key Features: -Checkmate Challenges: Explore a vast collection of checkmate puzzles ranging from beginner to grandmaster levels. With diverse scenarios and difficulty levels, there's a puzzle for every chess enthusiast. -Improve Your Strategy: Enhance your chess skills as you learn to anticipate your opponent's moves, plan your strategy, and execute winning combinations. Chess Mate Puzzles is your personal chess tutor. -Interactive Lessons: Dive into detailed explanations and interactive lessons for each puzzle. Understand the underlying tactics and techniques used in each scenario. -Progress Tracker: Track your puzzle-solving journey, monitor your progress, and watch your rating soar as you conquer increasingly challenging puzzles. - Offline Play: Enjoy Chess Mate Puzzles anywhere, even without an internet connection. Perfect for honing your skills on the go. Chess Mate Puzzles is not just a chess app; it's a comprehensive chess training tool that will transform you into a formidable chess player. Whether you're a novice looking to learn the ropes or a seasoned player aiming to refine your skills, this app has something for everyone. Are you ready to checkmate your way to victory? Download Chess Mate Puzzles now and embark on an exciting chess adventure!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Pulsar Chess Engine at 70% against Chess Mate Puzzle's 0%. Pulsar Chess Engine also leads on rating (4.3 vs 3.0) and ratings volume (12 vs 2). Chess Mate Puzzle's advantage is price (Free vs $1.99) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Chess Mate Puzzle is free to download; Pulsar Chess Engine costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Pulsar Chess Engine holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pulsar Chess Engine has 12 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 70% of Pulsar Chess Engine's written reviews are positive against 0% of Chess Mate Puzzle's.
Pulsar Chess Engine ships an update every 2 months, Chess Mate Puzzle fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Pulsar Chess Engine | Chess Mate Puzzle |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.3 (12 ratings) — better | 3.0 (2 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 70.0% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 12 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 11.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 11 MB | 32 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Michael Adams | CENK YILDIRIM |
Customer experience
Pulsar Chess Engine
Chess Mate Puzzle
In-app purchases
Pulsar Chess Engine
No in-app purchases
Chess Mate Puzzle
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Pulsar Chess Engine free?
Is Chess Mate Puzzle free?
Which has better reviews, Pulsar Chess Engine or Chess Mate Puzzle?
Do Pulsar Chess Engine or Chess Mate Puzzle have ads?
Which is updated more often, Pulsar Chess Engine or Chess Mate Puzzle?
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